[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 100 (Thursday, May 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 36224]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-12923]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AZ-050-02-1430-FM; AZA 31808]


Notice of Intent To Amend the Lower Gila South Resource 
Management Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to amend the Lower Gila South Resource 
Management Plan (RMP), Arizona.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) 
and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), Yuma Field Office, Arizona will prepare an 
environmental assessment (EA) to consider an amendment to the Lower 
Gila South Resource Management Plan (RMP) (June 1988). The proposed 
plan amendment will assess impacts of proposed changes in land tenure 
classification and management of Federal lands in La Paz County in 
southwestern Arizona. It will also assess a proposed land exchange 
pursuant to Section 206 of FLPMA, and the regulations found at 43 CFR 
part 2200. Currently, the Lower Gila South RMP does not designate the 
public lands in La Paz County as suitable for disposal.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted for 30 days from the date of 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be send to Bureau of Land Management, Yuma 
Field Office, 2555 East Gila Ridge Road, Yuma, Arizona, 85365. Comments 
should address issues to be considered, whether the planning criteria 
are adequate for the issues, reasonable alternatives to examine, and 
relevant information on the proposed plan amendment. Comments, 
including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available 
for public review at the Yuma Field Office, during regular business 
hours 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name or street address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests 
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from 
organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Stephen Fusilier at 928-317-
3296 or Micki Bailey 928-317-3215.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed plan amendment is required to 
allow BLM to consider a land exchange proposal submitted by Allegheny 
Energy Supply, LLC. the proposal involves exchanging 480.80 acres of 
Federal land located in the Harquahala Valley near the intersection of 
Interstate 10 and Avenue 75E (Exit 69) in La Paz County for 
approximately 1,500 acres of privately owned land within or adjacent to 
the Gila River. Cultural Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), 
also known as Sears Point located near Aztec in Yuma county. The 
Federal lands proposed for land exchange are described as follows:

Gila and Salt River Meridian, La Paz County, Arizona

T. 2 N., R. 11 W.,
    Sec. 1 lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\N\1/2\, SE\1/4\.

    The area described contains 480.80 acres. The non-Federal lands 
will be determined from the following described pool of lands:

Gila and Salt River Meridian, Yuma County, Arizona

T. 6 S., R. 11 W.,
    Sec. 1, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\N\1/2\, N\1/2\S\1/2\, 
SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 2, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\N\1/2\, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 3, SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 4, lots 2 to 4, inclusive, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 5, lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\N\1/2\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, 
SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 6, lots 1 to 5, inclusive, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\;
    Sec. 8, W\1/2\W\1/2\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, W\1/2\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 10, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 11, S\1/2\S\1/2\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\S\1/
2\;
    Sec. 12, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\SW\1/4\NE\1/
4\, E\1/2\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\, S\1/2\S\1/2\NE\1/
4\SE\1/4\, NW\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/
4\;
    Sec. 13, NW\1/4\, S\1/2\;
    Sec. 14, all;
    Sec. 17, NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 23, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/
4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 24, NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\.
T. 7 S., R. 11 W.,
    Sec. 1, lots 3 and 4, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\.

    The areas described aggregate 6,091.51 acres. The proposed plan 
amendment to the Lower Gila South RMP will be integrated with the 
proposed Sears Point-North Harquahala Valley land exchange, and the 
impact will be analyzed in a single EA. Tentative planning issues 
include (1) the proposed change in land ownership; (2) management of 
the Gila River Cultural ACEC; and (3) social and economic impacts on 
the counties. This action would allow BLM to further develop its 
management strategy at the Gila River Cultural ACEC. The following 
planning criteria are proposed to guide the resolution of the issues: 
(1) actions must comply with laws, executive orders, and regulations; 
(2) the long-term benefits to the public in relation to short-term 
benefits must be considered; (3) alternatives must be reasonable; and 
(4) evaluation must use the interdisciplinary approach to land 
management.

    Dated: April 15, 2002.
Tom Zaie,
Assistant Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 02-12923 Filed 5-22-02; 8:45 am]
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